


Anaylyze and Interpret

by Bi_lithiumcrystals



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Crowley Has Chronic Pain (Good Omens), First Kiss, Love Confession, Other, Post Series, accidental love confession, author has OPINIONS on intellectual elitism you may disagree with, author is able bodied though, dyslexic crowley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 11:01:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20044909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bi_lithiumcrystals/pseuds/Bi_lithiumcrystals
Summary: Crowley accidentally says "I love you" in the middle of a rant and takes a moment to realize what he just said





	Anaylyze and Interpret

**Author's Note:**

> This is heavily inspired by [this fic](https://justkeeptrekkin.tumblr.com/post/186140763755/prompt-crowely-tells-az-he-loves-him-by-accident) and comes from the same prompt
> 
> Also, I am able bodied. Crowley's chronic pain and dyslexia are only passingly mentioned here, and even then not actually by name, but nonetheless, please let me know if I wrote it incorrectly or offensively

"There's just no reason for it!" Crowley shouted, gesturing wildly. Despite reclining of the couch in Aziraphale's bookshop, he still projected the manic energy of someone pacing around the room. Aziraphale suspected that he was only able to prevent his speech from slurring the same way the Bently continued running despite having no gasoline- simply because Crowley believed it should continue happening. They had both drank several bottles of wine, so Aziraphale remained in his chair, watching Crowley gesture as he shouted. Nevertheless, Aziraphale could tell the wine was affecting Crowley as well because he had taken off his sunglasses a bottle and a half ago, and Aziraphale could see his pupils were wider than usual.

"There's absolutely no legitimate reason to insist that reading books is more high minded than consuming other forms of media! It's all about the effort the person puts into it, not what format the piece is in! I can think deeply about the themes presented in an episode of Assignment: Earth just as easily as the ones in..." he snapped his fingers and a handbound collection from one of the shelves appeared in his hands. He squinted at it, mouthing out the syllables. "Der Messias!" he finally proclaimed. 

Aziraphale blushed and tried to stand to take the work from Crowley, but found himself stumbling back into the chair immediately. He instead opted to snap his fingers and make it appear back on the shelf before replying, in somewhat slurred speech, "Yes, but it's easier to think about written works. They only happen at all when you think about them. You can let the television play on without actively engaging with it, but a book doesn't work unless you imagine it."

Crowley was still staring at his hands, as if surprised to no longer find the book there. He blinked and continued, completely certain, "Angel. You can absolutely read a book without paying attention to it."

"Well there's more intent behind books. An author has to pick every word on the page, so there's going to be more symbolism present."

"First of all, most things are scripted; all creators have to pay attention to what's being said. Though if there is a visual or audible bit to it, they also pay attention to that. That's _ more things _ being used to say what's being said than in a book. And B," he held up two fingers, despite having said a letter, not a number, "haven't you heard all the nerds going on about 'death of the author' or what have you? What the creator intended doesn't matter. What matters is what I can reasonably interpret it to mean to me. That's the whole point of all the arts- to be interpreted. And I can do that with television just as easy as a book. Easier in fact!

"Reading hurts my eyes and my head," he gestured to his face as he said this. "Probably to do with the slits. Or maybe I've got one of those learning disabilities on top of the pain in my legs." He waved his hand toward his legs, sprawled in a position Aziraphale found hard to believe was comfortable, but it seemed to work for him. Aziraphale didn't quite understand how the pain in Crowley's lower half worked, though he suspected that Crowley was usually easing it, as it always seemed to worsen when he was preoccupied. Of course, that could just be the nature of the pain. Crowley had tried to explain the sensation to him several times over the course of the millennia, but they both seemed to realize Aziraphale could never fully understand the experience the Almighty had saddled Crowley with after the Garden without having experienced it firsthand. Aziraphale did hope the wine and the conversation had not distracted him too much to ease the pain, and was about to inquire about it when Crowley continued.

"Why should people get to act like they're smarter than me just because they've got an easier time looking at letters? I love you, angel, and I know you love books, but it's just ridiculous the way humans treat reading."

Aziraphale perked up at those words, blinking slowly, wondering if he had misheard. He drained the alcohol from his system and listened more intently, but if Crowley had indeed said he loved him, he either didn't seem to realize it, or didn't consider it noteworthy- and Aziraphale had a hard time believing the latter.

"It's just unfair to act like you're inherently more intelligent for doing something that's painful for lots of people to do. Not to mention!" he slapped his hands together, as though he had rather suddenly come up with a new argument. "Widespread literacy is only a few decades, _ maybe _ a few centuries old. And even then, it's still much less accessible if you're poor. Your schools are worse, and all the bloody social systems humans have been rolling with this whole time seemed designed to make it harder for poor people to gain more knowledge. That's not to say poor people can't read, but there are roadblocks in place that make it harder. Like- _ angel, why are you staring at me like that?_" He seemed to have finally caught on to the change in Aziraphale's demeanor.__

_ _"Did you just say you loved me?" Aziraphale asked._ _

_ _Now it was Crowley's turn to suddenly sit up straight. _"What?" _ He winced in a way that convinced Aziraphale he was sobering himself up, then squinted and looked as though he was trying to remember what he had said. Then he looked shocked at himself. "Angel-"_ _

_ _"You did!" Aziraphale had felt a warmth alight inside his chest when Crowley had first said it, and the feeling had only grown as Crowley continued his tirade. Now it was burning brighter than Crowley's blush._ _

_ _"Well, yes, but-" Crowley was indeed blushing furiously, and the fondness brewing in Aziraphale threatened to flow over. He had been ready to put a voice to the unspoken love between them ever since the apocalypse-that-wasn't, three weeks ago. But he had stumbled trying to find the words. How do you tell the love of your life that you're ready to take the plunge when you've spent several millennia begging him to let you look before leaping? He had wanted to make it perfect, to assure Crowley that he wasn't going to back down and back away this time, but he hadn't known how._ _

_ _Of course Crowley would save him from his own indecision and doubt. Crowely had saved him so, so many times- be it from discorporaton or his own fear and repression- what was one more rescue?_ _

_ _He couldn't hold it in any longer. He loved this beautiful being more than anything he had ever known, and he had kept him waiting too long. Aziraphale crossed the distance between them and sat down next to Crowley. He reached with his hand and guided Crowley's face towards him, and gingerly pressed a kiss to his lips._ _

_ _It paled in comparison to all he wanted to say- but he didn't think he could ever truly communicate just how deeply he felt about Crowley. That was alright, though. He trusted that Crowley understood, because he knew he felt the same. And all the same, the kiss was rather lovely._ _

_ _He pulled back and opened his eyes to find Crowley's still closed, his expression fixed in a way that suggested he expected the kiss to resume. Aziraphale nearly obliged, but Crowley suddenly opened his eyes and blushed somehow deeper than before._ _

_ _"You- you have to give warning before you go and do a thing like that," he sputtered, visibly flustered. "I- what happened to going too fast?"_ _

_ _"I didn't need time to know how I felt. Just to build the courage to forsake my side, and I've done that now. I'm sorry it took so long."_ _

_ _Crowley paused a moment, several emotions flickering across his face before he softly whispered "Don't be. I remember what it was like to lose what you've given up. You don't have to apologize for being afraid of having it torn away."_ _

_ _Crowley very rarely spoke of his memories of Heaven, and even less frequently framed them in a positive light. Aziraphale took his hand and waited patiently to see if he would continue, knowing how hard this was for him. Several moments passed, and Aziraphale wasn't entirely sure Crowley would elaborate, but was content to sit there with him regardless._ _

_ _"I know it's not actually that great Up There, but I still felt for a very long time like I was missing something afterwards. I do like what I've found on Earth better, but I understand how it feels to lose something that feels fundamental, even if it is for the better. So you don't ever have to be sorry for needing time."_ _

_ _"It still hurt you that I wasn't ready."_ _

_ _"So what? It hurt you too. Don't apologize for it; just enjoy being free of it now."_ _

_ _Aziraphale leaned in and kissed him again, deeper this time, one hand on Crowley's waist, the other on his chest- dangerously close to doing something as cliché as laying over his heart. Crowley kissed back passionately for a moment, before placing his hands on Aziraphale's shoulders and pushing him gently away._ _

_ _Crowley laughed breathlessly. "All that said, going from 'don't push him too much; he's not ready' to kissing you over the course of one conversation is a lot to process. I may need a day or week or two to adjust to this."_ _

_ _"Are you saying I go too fast for you?" He grinned, clearly reveling in both the ridiculousness of their situation and the joy of being openly loved._ _

_ _Crowley glared, glarefully. "Shut up, angel."_ _

_ _"Well, it's more than fair that I give you time to adjust. I just hope you won't sleep on it for a century."_ _

_ _"That was one time!"_ _

_ _They laughed together, still somewhat nervous, but also elated. Aziraphale squeezed Crowley's hand. "Well, please do let me know when you've finished processing. I would very much like to spend a century kissing you."_ _

_ _"Okay." Crowley stood from the couch, blushing again, and searched for his sunglasses. "Well, that alone will take a decade to digest, so I will call you whenever that has settled."_ _

_ _Aziraphale picked up the shades from the bookshelf they had been laid upon and gently placed them on Crowley's face. "Oh, and Crowley? I love you too, my dear."_ _

_ _"Okay." Crowley nodded, stepping away. "Okay." He walked towards the door, turned around, pressed a quick kiss to Aziraphale's lips, muttered "Okay," again, and walked out the door._ _

_ _—_ _

_ _Three weeks and 4 days later, Aziraphale received a call at the bookshop._ _

_ _"You mentioned a picnic?" Crowley's voice rang through the receiver._ _

_ _"I believe I did, yes," Aziraphale replied as though there conversation in the 1960s had occurred a week ago._ _

_ _"How's Saturday?"_ _

_ _"Saturday sounds lovely, my dear."_ _

_ _"Great. And I, uh, I may just take you up on your offer about a century afterward."_ _

_ _Aziraphale smiled brightly. "I look forward to it."_ _

**Author's Note:**

> "Assignment: Earth" was an intended Star Trek spin off that was a blatant rip off of Doctor Who, and I thought it would be fun to have Crowley be a fan of a show that never ended up happening but was similar to one I would think he would be into if Tennant playing them both hadn't made it awkward
> 
> "Der Messias" is a German work about and angel and demon with some extremely homoerotic undertones which you can read about [here](https://crowleyraejepsen.tumblr.com/post/186051612013/threerings-wanted-to-share-this-thread-about)  



End file.
